Muhammad Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, has called for the development of health policies that are rooted in the day-to-day realities and voices of Nigerian communities.

Mr Pate, represented by Nse Akpan, the director of port health services in the ministry, said this on Monday in Abuja during the 10th anniversary celebration of the Stella Adadevoh (DRASA) Health Trust.

The minister said this approach stands in contrast to top-down strategies that often fail to address the specific and diverse needs of the population. 

”Nigeria’s health sector reforms would only succeed if policies were designed to reflect the needs, values, and experiences of people at the grassroots.

“Policy design in Nigeria will not succeed unless it resonates in the communities, in the marketplace, in the farm, in the school, in churches, in mosques, and in clinics.

“That is where policy truly works. If we sit down here and say we have a lot of failed policies without engaging the grassroots, then the government has not done anything,” he said.

The minister stressed that the voices of youth, women, and marginalised groups must be included in national conversations on public health, adding that inclusion was not only about fairness but also about effectiveness.

Mr Pate commended DRASA Health Trust for its contribution to Nigeria’s public health system, describing the organisation as a model for community-driven action and partnership.

He said the government would continue to partner with the private sector, civil society, and development partners to strengthen Nigeria’s health security architecture.

Mr Pate reiterated that health security was the collective responsibility of all Nigerians, warning that complacency could undermine the country’s preparedness for future outbreaks.

“Health security is everyone’s business. It wasn’t the business of Adadevoh alone; it is the business of us all.

“We do not know when or where the next outbreak will occur, but if we remain united and proactive, we can prevent crises and protect our people,” he said.

He announced that the government, in collaboration with partners like DRASA, plans to scale up community-based health education and train 50,000 additional health workers to serve in schools and communities across the country.

“This initiative will not only improve hygiene and infection prevention but will also build a new generation of health champions in every community,” he said.

In July 2014, when Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer arrived in Lagos showing Ebola symptoms, Ms Adadevoh promptly identified the threat and insisted he be quarantined despite external pressure.

(NAN)